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cerning which thou hadst promised to their Fathers, that they fhould go in to poffefs it.

24 So the Children went in and poffefled the Land, and thou SUBDUEDST before them the Inhabitants of the Land, and gaveft them into their Hands, with their Kings, and the People of the Land, that they might do with them as they would.

25 And they took STRONG Cities, and a FAT Land, and poffeffed Houfes full of all Goods, Wells digged, Vineyards and Olive-yards, and Fruit-trees in Abundance: So they did eat, and were filled, and became Fat, and delighted themselves in thy great Goodness.

26 Nevertheless they were DISOBEDIENT, and REBELLED against thee, and caft thy Law behind their Backs, and SLEW thy PROPHETS, which teftified against them i to TURN them to THEE, and they wrought great PRO

VOCATIONS.

27 Therefore thou deliveredit them into the Hand of their Enemies, who vexed them: and in the Time of their TROUBLE When they cried unto thee, thou heardeft them from HEAVEN; and according to thy MANIFOLD MERCIES, thou gaveft them SAVIOURS, who faved them out of the Hand of their Enemies.

28 But after they had REST, they did EVIL again before thee: therefore lefteft thou them in the Hand of their Enemies, fo that they had the Dominion over them: yet when they RETURNED and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from Heaven, and many Times didft thou deliver them, according to thy MERCIES;

29 And teftifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy LAW: yet they dealt PROUDLY, and hearkned not unto thy Commandments, but finned against thy Judgments (which if a Man do, he fhall live in them) and withdrew the Shoulder, and HARDNED their Neck, and would not HEAR.

30 Yet many Years didst thou forbear them, and teftifiedft against them, by thy SPIRIT in thy PROPHETS: yet would they not give Ear: therefore gaveft thou them into the Hand of the People of the Lands.

31 Nevertheless, for thy great MERCIES Sake, thou didst not utterly CONSUME them, nor FORSAKE them; for thou art a GRACIOUS and MERCIFUL GOD.

32 Now therefore our GoD, the GREAT, the MIGHTY,

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and the TERRIBLE GOD, who keepest COVENANT and MERCY; let not all the Trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our Kings, on our Princes, and on our Priests, and on our Prophets, and on our Fathers, and on all thy People, fince the Time of the Kings of Affyria, unto this Day.

33 Howbeit, thou art JUST in all that is brought upon us; for thou haft done RIGHT, but we have done WICKEDLY. 34 Neither have our KINGS, our PRINCES, Our PRIESTS, nor our Fathers kept thy Law, nor hearkned unto thy Commandments, and thy Teftimonies wherewith thou didst teftify against them.

35 For they have not ferved thee in their KINGDOM, and in thy GREAT GOODNESS that thou gavest them, and in the large and FAT Land which thou gaveft before them, neither TURNED they from their WICKED WORKS.

36 Behold, we are Servants this Day, and for the LAND that thou gaveft unto our Fathers, to eat the Fruit thereof, and the Good thereof, behold, we are Servants in it.

37 And it yieldeth much Increase unto the Kings whom thou haft fet over us, because of our Sins: alfo they have Dominion over our Bodies, and over our Cattle, at their Pleasure, and we are in great Distress.

38 And because of all this, we make a fure Covenant, and write it, and our Princes, Levites, and Priests feal unto it.

СНАР. Х.

The Names of them that fealed the Covenant. 29 The Points of the Covenant.

Ver. 28 ND the People, the Priests, the Levites, the Porters, the Singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had feperated themselves from the People of the Lands, unto the Law of GOD, their Wives, their Sons, and their Daughters, every one having Knowledge, and having Understanding.

29 They clave to their Brethren, and entred into a Curse and into an Oath, to walk in GoD's Law, which was given by Mofes the Servant of GOD, and to obferve and to do all the Commandments of the LORD our Gop, and his Judgments and his Statutes.

30 And that we would not give our Daughters unto the People of the Land, nor take their Daughters for our Sons.

31 And if the People of the Land bring Ware or any ViAtuals on the Sabbath Day, to fell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the Holy-day: and that we would leave the seventh Year, and the Exaction of every Debt.

32 Also we made Ordinances for us to charge ourselves yearly with a third part of the Shekel, for the Service of the Houfe of our GOD.

33 For the Shew-bread, and for the continual Meet-offering, and for the continual Burnt-offering of the Sabbaths, of the New-moons, for the Set-feafts, and for the Holythings, and for the Sin-offerings, to make an Atonement for Ifrael, and for all the Work of the Houfe of our GOD.

34 And we caft the Lots among the Priefts, the Levites, and the People for the Wood-offering, to bring it into the Houfe of our GOD, after the House of our Fathers, at Times appointed, Year by Year, to burn upon the Altar of the LORD our GOD, as it is written in the Law:

35 And to bring the First-Fruits of our Ground, and the Firft-fruits of all Fruit of all Trees, Year by Year, unto the House of the LORD:

36 Alfo the First-born of our Sons, and of our Cattle (as is written in the Law) and the Firstlings of our Herds, and of our Flocks, to bring to the House of our GoD, unto the Priests that minifter in the Houfe of our GOD:

37 And that we fhould bring the first Fruits of our Dough, and our Offerings, and the Fruit of all manner of Trees, of Wine, and of Oyl, unto the Priefts, to the Chambers of the House of our GOD, and the Tithes of our Ground unto the Levites, that the fame Levites might have the Tithes, in all the Cities of our Tillage.

38 And the Priest the Son of Aaron, fhall be with the Levites when the Levites take Tithes: and the Levites fhall bring up the Tithe of the Tithes unto the House of our God, to the Chambers, into the Treasure-house.

39 For the Children of Ifrael, and the Children of Levi, fhall bring the Offering of the Corn of the new Wine, and the Oyl, unto the Chambers, where are the Veffels of the Sanctuary, and the Priests that minifter, and the Porters, and the Singers: and we will not forfake the House of our God.

CHAP.

CHAP. XI.

The Rulers, voluntary Men, and the Tenth Man chosen by Lot, dwell at Jerufalem. 3 A Catalogue of their Names.

CHA P. XII.

The Priefts, 8 And the Levites which came up with Zerub babel. 10 The Succeffion of High Priefts.

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Upon the reading of the Law, Separation is made from the mixed Multitude. 4 Nehemiah at his Return caufeth the Chambers to be cleanfed. 10 He reformeth the Offices in the Houfe of God. 15 The Violation of the Sabbath, 23 And the Marriages with ftrange Wives.

Ver. 1 ON that Day they read in the Book of Mofes in the

Audience of the People; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the Congregation of God for ever.

2 Because they met not the Children of Ifrael with Bread and with Water, but hired Balaam against them, that he fhould curfe them: Howbeit our GOD turned the Curfe into a Bleffing.

3 Now it came to pafs when they had heard the Law, that they feparated from Ifrael all the mixed Multitude.

4 And before this, Eliafhib the Prieft having the Overfight of the Chamber of the Houfe of our God, was allied unto Tobiah.

5 And he had prepared for him a great Chamber, where aforetime they laid the Meat-offerings, the Frankincenfe, and the Veffels, and the Tithes of the Corn, the new Wine, and the Oyl (which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the Singers, and the Porters) and the Offerings of the Priests.

6 But in all this Time was not I at Jerufalem: for in the two and thirtieth Year of Artaxerxes King of Babylon, came I unto the King, and after certain Days obtained I Leave of the King.

7 And I came to Jerufalem, and understood of the Evil

that

that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a Chamber, in the Courts of the Houfe of GOD.

8 And it grieved me fore, therefore I caft forth all the Houfhold Stuff of Tobiah out of the Chamber.

9 Then I commanded, and they cleanfed the Chambers: and thither brought I again the Veffels of the House of GOD, with the Meat-offering and the Frankincenfe.

10 And I perceived that the Portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the Singers that did the Work, were fled every one to his Field.

11 Then contended I with the Rulers, and faid, Why is the House of GOD forfaken? and I gathered them together, and fet them in their Place.

12 Then brought all Judah the Tithe of the Corn, and the new Wine, and the Oyl, unto the Treafuries.

13 And I made Treasurers over the Treafuries, Shelemiah the Priest, and Zadok the Scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah and next to them was Hanan the Son of Zaccur, the Son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their Office was to distribute to their Brethren.

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good Deeds that I have done for the House of my GOD.

15 In those Days faw I in Judah fome treading Winepreffes on the Sabbath, and bringing in Sheaves, and lading Affes; as alfo Wine, Grapes and Figgs, and all manner of Burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the Sabbathday: and I teftified against them in the Day wherein they fold Victuals.

16 There dwelt Men of Tyre alfo therein, which brought Fish, and all manner of Ware, and fold on the Sabbath unto the Children of Judah, and in Jerufalem.

17 Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah, and faid unto them, What evil Thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day?

18 Did not your Fathers thus, and did not our GoD bring all this Evil upon us, and upon this City? yet ye bring more Wrath upon Ifrael by profaning the Sabbath.

19 And it came to pass, that when the Gates of Jerufalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the Gates fhould be fhut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and fome of my Servants

fet

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